It’s been over a year since Netflix released the horror film trilogy Fear Street. Beginning on July 2, 2021 with Fear Street Part One: 1994, Netflix would unveil sequels across a three-week event. Directed by Leigh Janiak and based on the novels of the same name by R. L. Stine, the Fear Street trilogy spans decades from 1994 — when Nelson Mandela became South African President — to 1666, the era of the infamous witch trials. Both their inhabitants and lifestyles are polar opposites in the neighboring towns of Sunnyvale and Shadyside; the former is known to be safe and extravagant, whereas the latter is destitute of resources and has been dubbed the “murder capital” of the United States.
Primarily following Sadie Sink’s Ziggy Berman, the Fear Street trilogy centers on a group of teenagers living in Shadyside who discover their town to be cursed. Resulting from the curse, Shadyside has been terrorized by inexplicable and brutal murders for centuries, hence its reputation. Overall, the trilogy received ample praise, though some entries were considered weaker than others. Many rankings and even a Reddit poll have indicated that Fear Street Part Two: 1978 is the weakest of them all, while the remaining slots for Part One: 1994 and Part Three: 1666 are far more interchangeable based on personal preference. Even an entire 15 months later, Fear Street is still being talked about like it’s fresh out the Netflix catalogue. But what do Reddit have to say?
While it was seemingly unanimous that Fear Street was less of a hardcore slasher and more aimed at teenagers/young adults, it was enjoyable for all ages (a term used loosely) nevertheless. One Reddit comment went on to describe their viewing experience, mentioning that they binge-watched the trilogy in one sitting, followed by McG’s The Babysitter, starring Samara Weaving, which bares some formulaic and elemental similarities to Fear Street. Perhaps the biggest highlight for Part One: 1994 is its impeccable soundtrack, which borrows from ’90s legends like Nine Inch Nails, Iron Maiden and Radiohead, as well as clear tributes to iconic slasher films of that century, specifically Scream (1996).
Another comment showering praise for the trilogy highlighted that Fear Street captured the essence of the various generations, but the biggest downfall is that — due to its intended demographic — the Fear Street trio of films aren’t inherently terrifying like most others in the genre. In fact, it acts more like a comfort horror, which is the nicer way of saying “these films aren’t scary.” Still, horror doesn’t always need to be scary, so it’s a refreshing change of pace for squeamish or weak-hearted viewers.
For our parting words, there isn’t a more fitting way to describe Fear Street than the comment below, which at least 30 Redditors are in agreement with and certainly speaks for many horror fans who indulged in the flicks.
All three Fear Street movies are available to stream on Netflix.
